Take-up reel for a flyer twisting machine or a cable-making machine



Dec. 12, 1967 M. BIGIEL 3,357,169

TAKE-UP REEL FOR A FLYER TWISTING MACHINE OR A CABLE-MAKING MACHINE Filed NOV. 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 12, 1967 M. BIGIEL 3,357,169

TAKE-UP REEL FOR A FLYER TWISTING MACHINE OR A CABLEMAKING MACHINE Filed Nov 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 17 Fig. 2

United States Patent C) 3,357,169 TAKE-U REEL FOR A FLYER TWISTING MACHENE OR A CABLE-MAKING MACHINE Max Bigiel, Rennweg, Germany, assignor to Maschinenfabrik Menimingen Ingenieur Theodor Otto, Rennweg, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Nov. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 508,656

Claims priority, application Germany, Apr. 3, 1965,

5 Claims. (Cl. 57-70) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A take-up reel for use in a twisting or cable making machine in which the reel is defined by two complementary sections, each having a body portion, a flange at one margin thereof and a free margin. One of the sections is secured by its flange to a rotatable frame with the free margin of the other section being in contact with the free margin thereof. The flange of the other section is provided with a pair of flaps mounted for pivotal movement to engage an annular groove in a spindle carried by the frame and extending through the reel so as to retain the free ends in contact and prevent axial displacement of the other reel section. By moving the flaps out of engagement with the groove, the other reel section can be removed from the spindle.

The present invention relates to a take-up reel for a tlyer twisting machine or a cable-making machine.

In machines of the above-mentioned type the threads or strands to be twisted are removed from the supply reels and are introduced in an axial direction into a socalled flyer. A tensioning mechanism consisting of several rollers or drums is provided in the flyer and rotated with the latter. The flyer and the tensioning mechanism are driven independently. The material twisted by the rotating flyer runs from the tensioning mechanism to a take-off device at the outer periphery of the flyer from which the strand or cable is paid off to the take-up reel. The take-up reel is coaxially arranged relative to the axis of the flyer and is supported by a rotating frame which is continuously moved upwards and downwards by a machine frame. A brake is provided between the rotating frame and the machine frame.

The take-up reel is thus taken along by the material paid off at the flyer take-off device to the take-up reel and the object of the brake is to ensure a sufiicient tension during the winding on the reel.

Since the take-up reels of the above-mentioned type have to fulfill an essential function in the twisting process or cable-making process respectively, they are, however, also subject to considerable stresses and must be built carefully and strongly. Accordingly, the reels are heavy and expensive. This makes it impossible to ship the reel together with the material or use it in other processing machines. The threads and cables produced with the above-mentioned machines are thus regularly rewound,

either onto shipment reels of cardboard or the like or into a reel-less ball by precision winding. This additional re winding process renders the material more expensive.

However, since the rewinding process is also time-consuming, it is necessary to provide a plurality of reel sets for each flyer twisting machine or cable-making machine.

The additional expenditure which results therefrom is considerable. Finally, the rewinding process has an adverse effect on the take-up reels and reduces their useful life.

An object of the invention is to provide a take-up reel which avoids the above-mentioned disadvantages.

This invention is based on a take-up reel for a fiyer twisting machine or a cable-making machine in which the reel, consisting essentially of two marginal or end flanges and an intermediate reel part, is arranged in such a manner on a rotating frame provided with a brake, that its rotating axis is substantially vertical, and is continuously moved upwards and downwards during the winding proc ess together with the rotating frame, while the flyer paying out the thread or cable moves on a circular track around the reel.

This invention is mainly directed to the concept that the reel consists essentially of two sections, each of which comprises at least one marginal flange and that both sections are connected to each other in a detachable manner and that the upper reel section is removable, thus allowing the removal of the coil, while the lower reel section remains on the rotating frame.

More particularly, the invention provides that the intermediate reel section has a conical external shape with a polished surface with the intermediate reel section being preferably divided approximately in the middle and each half being provided with a conical outer face integral with one border flange.

The take-up reel according to the invention allows the saving of the whole rewinding process. When the take-up reel is filled, the upper marginal flange of the take-up reel is removed and the coil can be pulled off. The removal of the coil is facilitated by the conical shape of the intermediate reel section and by the fact that this intermediate reel section is provided with a polished surface.

Surprisingly, it has been found that the removal of the reel-less coil is possible without having been precision wound.-As has been mentioned above, the take-up reel cooperates in the twisting or cabling process. This means that the difference in the speed of the take-up reel and the speed of the flyer at the beginning of the winding process is considerably greater than in the terminal stage of the winding process with the reel nearly filled. Since on the other hand the up-and-down movement of the reel does not change during the whole twisting or cable-making process, a precision-winding cannot be obtained. The removed coil has, however, a suflicient solidity probably due to the considerable tension especially at the beginning of the winding process.

- The removed coil can be unwound as desired from the inside or the outside. It has been found that the conical and particularly the double conical internal shape of the coil is favorable for the unwinding process since it serves as a guide for the thread or the like paid off from the interior of the coil.

The invention is preferably used with machines in which a spindle is provided on the rotating frame for guiding the with each other, such as for example by means of coaxially arranged connection means or the like.

Iii-holding flaps of the above-mentioned type are used, it is advantageous if the holding flaps are pivotably mounted at the upper reel section and tension means engage with the holding flaps for pushing said flaps against each other and into the annular groove in the operating position, while said flaps are separated from each other in the take-off position.

The tension means may particularly be provided with a clasp consisting of two articulated pieces arranged tangentially to the reel axis and articulated with each holding flap as well as with each other.

A main object of the invention is to allow for the reelless removal of the twisted or cabled material from the machine. For special purposes it may, however, be preferable to leave the material on the reel-like sleeves of sim ple construction and to ship or process it further on these sleeves. In order to allow for this the invention provides a tube-like sleeve extending between the marginal flanges of the two reel sections and detachably supported by both reel sections. While in the above-mentioned embodiment of the invention the coil is thus removed from the conical faces, here it is removed together with the sleeve from corresponding, substantially shorter guides. The means for connecting both reel sections or the two marginal flanges respectively of the reel may, however, be essentially identical in both embodiments.

Two embodiments of the invention are shown schematically in the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partially in section and partially broken away of a take-up reel according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the take-up reel illustrated in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a side view partially in section and partially broken away of another embodiment of the invention on a reduced scale.

A machine element 1 supports a turntable 2 provided with a spindle 3 and moves up and down during the twisting or cabling process with these parts as shown by the double arrow 4. The extent of this movement corresponds approximately to the distance between two marginal or edge flanges 5 and 6.

The two flanges 5 and 6 are each provided integrally with one half of body portion 7 and 8 each of an intermediate reel section. These halves have a conical shape and surfaces 9 thereof are polished.

Reel sections 10 and 11 are applied into the spindle 3. The lower reel section 10 is provided with recesses 12, which are engaged by studs 13 of the turntable 2. The studs are provided with heads 14, while the recesses 12 have contractions 15 extending below the heads 13, so that a safe anchoring of the lower reel section 10 at the turntable 2 is obtained during the rotation movement.

The upper reel section 11 carries two holding flaps 16 and 17 (see FIG. 2) which are pivotable around pivots 18. The holding flap 16 supports brace 19 of the clasp, while the other holding flap 17 supports a brace 20 provided in the form of a tension lever. In the operative position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the clasp pushes intermediate parts 21 of the holding flaps into an annular groove 22 of the spindle, so that the upper reel section 11 is axially retained. A further blocking between the upper reel half 11 and the lower reel section 10 or the spindle 3 respectively is not necessary. An efiective drive occurs per se during the winding process.

As shown particularly in FIGURE 1, the marginal flange 6 of the upper reel section 11 is provided with a recess 23 for receiving the clasp and the holding flaps. Projecting parts, which might cause accidents and jams, are thus avoided.

During the winding process or during twisting or cablemaking, a flyer 24 moves on a circular track around the reel. The other devices of the flyer have not been shown in detail. The thread or'cable is paid out to the reel as shown at 25. The dash-and-dot line 26 is intended to show this. During this process, the reel moves up and down in the direction of the double arrow 4. Since the thread or cable lengths paid off are shorter than the path of the flyer 24, the material paid off takes the reel partially along the circular track, and which movement is braked by a braking means of suitable type denoted B provided between the parts 1 and 2. Thus, a relatively solid coil is obtained which is built up in irregular windings between the flanges 5 and 6.

When the reel is full, the tension lever 20 is moved in such a way that the holding flaps 16 and 17 are separated from each other. The holding flaps are disengaged from the groove 22 and the reel section 11 can be removed in an upward direction from the spindle 3. The coil may then also be removed while the lower reel section 10 remains on the turntable 2.

The embodiment according to FIG. 3 differs from the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 essentially in that a cylindrical sleeve 27 extends between the two marginal flanges 5 and 6, and is held at 28 and 29 at the flanges 5 and 6. Reel sections 31 and 32 connected to the flanges 5 and 6 are fastened on the spindle 3 and at the turntable 2 in the same manner as in the embodiment according to FIG. 1. When, in the embodiment according to FIG. 3, the reel section 31 is removed together with the flange 6 in an upward direction, the built-up coil can be removed together with the sleeve 27. The sleeve 27 may be of a very simple structure and may consist for example of an aluminum tube, so that the wound material can be shipped together with this sleeve.

The invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity to the showings in the drawings but changes or modifications may be made therein so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a twisting or cable making machine, a frame movable upwardly and downwardly and rotatable about a substantially vertical axis, brake means for the frame, a reel adapted to be mounted on said frame, a spindle on the frame'for guiding said reel and having an end projecting beyond said reel, and a flyer movable about a' circular path around the reel during rotation and upward and downward movement of the frame and reel for paying out the material, said reel including two complementary sections, each section having a body portion, a flange at one margin thereof and a free margin, means for securing the marginal flange of one of said sections to said frame, the free margin of the other of said sections being in contact with the free margin of said one section, a pair of flaps pivotally mounted on the marginal flange of said other section for movement to engage and disengage said projecting end of said spindle for retaining said other section against said one section and preventing axial displacement of said other section and permitting the removal of said other section from the spindle respectively and tension means cooperable with said flaps for holding said flaps in engagement with said projecting end of said spindle.

' 2. The twisting or cable making machine as claimed in claim 1 in which each flap is provided with a mating edge portion adapted to enter an annular groove provided in said spindle to retain said other section against said one section and prevent axial displacement of said other section.

3. The twisting or cable making machine as claimed in claim 2 in which said tension means includes a clasp pivotally attached to one flap and a lever pivotally attached to the other flap and to said clasp, respectively, said clasp and leverbeing arranged tangentially with respect to the axis of the reel.

4. The twisting or cable making machine as claimed in claim 3 in which each reel section is of frusto-conical 5 6 configuration with the marginal flange being at the base 1,639,794 8/1927 Boyd et a1. 5771 thereof. 2,483,528 10/ 1949 Christofit' 24268.3 5. The twisting or cable making machine as claimed 2,518,533 8/1950 Edwards 242118.5 X in claim 3 in which each reel section is of cylindrical 2,652,918 9/1953 Lippert 242-71.8 X configuration. 5 3,041,005 6/ 1962 Wallace 2421 16 References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 787,719 12/1957 Great Britain. 808,084 12/1905 Hardman 57-71 1,316,972 9/1919 Prentiss 242116 X FRANK J-COHENPWmWY Examiner- 1,440,122 12/ 1922 Alexander 24281 WILLIAM S. BURDEN, Examiner. 

1. IN A TWISTING OR CABLE MAKING MACHINE, A FRAME MOVABLE UPWARDLY AND DOWWARDLY AND ROTATABLE ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS, BRAKE MEANS FOR THE FRAME, A REEL ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, A SPINDLE ON THE FRAME FOR GUIDING SAID REEL AND HAVING AN END PROJECTING BEYOND SAID REEL, AND A FLYER MOVABLE ABOUT A CIRCULAR PATH AROUND THE REEL DURING ROTATION AND UPWARD AND DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF THE FRAME AND REEL FOR PAYING OUT THE MATERIAL, SAID REEL INCLUDING TWO COMPLEMENTARY SECTIONS, EACH SECTION HAVING A BODY PORTION, A FLANGE OF ONE MARGIN THEREOF AND A FREE MARGIN, MEANS FOR SECURING THE MARGINAL FLANGE OF ONE OF SAID SECTIONS TO SAID FRAME, THE FREE MARGIN OF THE OTHER OF SAID SECTIONS BEING IN CONTACT WITH THE FREE MARGIN OF SAID ONE SECTION, A PAIR OF FLAPS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE MARGINAL FLANGE OF SAID OTHER SECTION FOR MOVEMENT TO ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE SAID PROJECTING END OF SAID SPINDLE FOR RETAINING SAID OTHER SECTION AGAINST SAID ONE SECTION AND PREVENTING AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID OTHER SECTION AND PERMITTING THE REMOVAL OF SAID OTHER SECTION FROM THE SPINDLE RESPECTIVELY AND TENSION MEANS COOPERABLE WITH SAID FLAPS FOR HOLDING SAID FLAPS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PROJECTING END OF SAID SPINDLE. 